Gbanga, Bong County – Calm is gradually returning to Phebe Referral Hospital following the intervention of Liberia’s Health Minister, Louise Mapleh Kpoto, who brokered a temporary resolution to a tense standoff with aggrieved health workers.
The breakthrough came early Tuesday after a high-level meeting in Bong County, where Dr. Kpoto personally engaged members of the Phebe Workers’ Union in a bid to restore full operations at one of Liberia’s key referral health facilities.
The hospital had been hit by a go-slow action that disrupted services and raised fears among patients and their families. Workers cited salary disparities, poor working conditions, and management concerns as reasons for the protest.
Earlier efforts to resolve the impasse, led by Josiah F. Joekai, Director-General of the Civil Service Agency, reportedly failed to secure a lasting agreement.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Dr. Kpoto appealed to health workers to immediately resume duties in the interest of patients who rely on the facility for critical care.
She assured them that their concerns would be addressed within one week and pledged to work toward reversing the suspension of seven employees — a decision previously announced by the Civil Service Agency that had further escalated tensions.
Speaking on behalf of the workers, Union President Moses D.N. Davis described the Minister’s intervention as a constructive step toward resolving the crisis.
He confirmed that health workers are expected to end their go-slow action and return to normal operations while awaiting the government’s response within the promised timeframe.
The protest disrupted medical services early Tuesday, with some patients reportedly transferred to nearby clinics and health centers across Bong County.
Workers also raised concerns about what they described as poor administrative handling of internal issues, including the proposed reassignment of three senior staff members — the Medical Director, Human Resources Officer, and Administrator.
With workers now expected to resume duties, attention shifts to the Ministry of Health and other government authorities to deliver on the promised reforms within the stated timeline.
Phebe Referral Hospital serves thousands of residents in Bong and neighboring counties, making its stability critical to healthcare delivery in central Liberia.
For now, operations are set to resume — but the coming days will determine whether the fragile truce holds or tensions resurface.
